What is it Wednesday

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

December 1, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This bright green plant is a liverwort. 

Liverworts usually grow flat, with tough lobed “leaves.” They often grow on rocks or rocky soil in shady damp places, like along streams. This liverwort was found growing on rocks below the spring on the Spring Loop trail at Lutherlyn, also known as the Great Spring.

Liverworts are a type of non-vascular plant called bryophytes. Moss is also a bryophyte. Bryophytes like moss and liverwort do not have true roots that suck up water. Instead, they absorb water that falls on their leaves. (This is why they usually thrive best in damp shady places.) Like moss, liverworts are evergreen – they can continue photosynthesis in the winter because of the simple way they absorb water. Liverwort is a bit different than most evergreens we like to feature in the winter, but its it is refreshing to see its bright green in the darker and drabber days of winter! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!